Pride & Vanity
by harridanursula
Summary: Jane knew James was proud. She only wishes she knew before they started going out just how proud and what it can mean. Now they are all broken up and she cannot even blame him for all the consequences. Fun year it will be not. (Doesn't take account of The Cursed Child)


_Hello, I am Ursula and I am very new here. Needless to say, I don't own the HP characters we owe to J.K. Rowling. I am a fan, since nine years old and not able to quit fantasizing about going to Hogwarts. I hope you will enjoy the story. Just wanted to say that English is not my first language so there might be significant number of mistakes. Excuse me for them and understand the need to practice for improvement._

 _Best of fun._

 **JANE**

I arrived to the Potter's annual End-of-Summer party quite late to avoid the chimney traffic. At least once I arrived, I didn't have to say hello to everyone separately. It was enough if I gave the birthday gift to James's father and then I could find my friends. I still got slightly claustrophobic among all the Weasleys. I think even Potters did and they were related.

Finding Harry Potter was not difficult. Another perk of coming late- people didn't keep formalities that long and now, the hero of the evening was hiding with his best friend Ron Weasley and a whisky bottle from their wives. That was the best moment to meet them. I smiled and approached them.

"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley' I greeted them, in the same time announcing my presence to them, too immersed in the conversation to notice on their own. James' dad suddenly got shy. It always made me quite amused to talk to him. For all the courage he no doubt possessed, he seemed to be immensely awkward in social context. It was surprising, especially if you knew James. Ron Weasley on the other hand, was always too loud.

'Jane!' he shouted, surprised 'I thought you weren't coming this year'

The reason why I hated the Weasley clan is that they just couldn't keep their mouths shut. If one Weasley knew- all of them knew. Even ones that barely had anything to do with you. I will kill Fred. Although, I guess, it didn't have to be him considering Harry was also looking at me hesitantly. I guess he didn't know how to approach the ex-girlfriend of his son.

'Well, me and James are keeping things civil' I explained. It wasn't exactly true. Potter practically wanted to kill me and the only reason he agreed I stayed part of the circle is that he thought it was the best punishment I could get.

'Mister Potter, I got a gift for you' he was clearly surprised- last year I was dragged by James to the party, not knowing where I was going so I didn't bring anything. This year however was different. I received an invitation. I still didn't know what exactly happened but the family stamp was definitely Potter's. Harry was obviously surprised but he opened it nevertheless. When the gift paper unraveled, in the last summer sun they could see a small pendant with photos inside. A small charm made them exchange themselves: photos of his parents interlaced with friends, dead and alive, and his family. They weren't moving, just like muggle photos.

'Jane, it's amazing'

I smiled, satisfied. Maybe Jim hated me but I definitely didn't hate him and I wanted to find a way back into his life. One of the possible ways was to show him that I didn't lie about anything but my feelings for him… which nature I never made very clear. What I discovered very early on is that Harry, just like James, was very sentimental and very close to his family. It seemed appropriate.

'I am happy you like it'

Harry, to my and Ron's great surprise, hugged me. It was more understandable when he whispered to me, that his boy was really sensitive even if he played tough. I knew that of course. I wished I knew slightly earlier just how sensitive.

We exchanged few remarks about the party and our upcoming N.E.W.T.S. and I could go mingle with the rest of the clan.

I saw Fred first, him being so tall. Then there was James and Louis. Sometimes I wish I could call them surnames, it would remind me of my relationship with them. But shouting Weasley at this party would be more or less like shouting 'attention please'.

'Hello beautiful' Fred put an arm around me and squeezed me to his side. He smelled butterbeer but the behaviour wasn't out of character but typical Fred.

'Hello darling' I kissed his cheek and moved on to Louis. He wasn't as tall as Fred but nor was he a redhead- which was a great trade-off in my opinion. Maybe ginger was also a recessive gene but I was definitely attracted to blondes and Louis was the blondest of them all. Maybe Malfoy, who started to date his sister Dominique would be the only competition. It would be great if they got children together.

Louis answered with two kisses to each of my cheeks and a gorgeous smile that would weaken my knees if they still belonged to me and not to pain caused by high heels pressing deep into the grass. Then I looked at James, like always, wishing to see that he is no longer angry with me. That question remained unanswered as he was looking down my dress instead of my face.

'My eyes are up here'

He looked at me with a smirk that promised no good.

'If you wanted me to look up at your eyes, you wouldn't have worn that'

Point taken. The rest of the guys rolled their eyes in a manifestation of their boredom with our, constantly reminding themselves, unresolved issues. I can understand them. I also wish that James finally forgave me. I know what I did was not particularly nice but it wasn't evil, desperate people do that all the time (at least according to fiction). He didn't really behave all that well himself but somehow he keeps forgetting that. And somehow he managed to contain the damage in a way that he was still the most sought-after guy in school while I bore the stigma of a poor girlfriend he ditched and now had to watch his parade of bunnies. Nobody seems to notice that he never stayed with any of them longer than two weeks. Makes the three months we had been together rather significant. Not that I complain. It's better people not knowing the truth.

'Well, maybe I wanted you to watch my back' I snapped and turned around. I really enjoyed their company and every time James did something to scare me off, I regretted going out with him. Since we broke up, hanging out with them had been seriously unpleasant. Which was precisely what he aimed at.

I looked around and quickly spotted Dominique. The good thing about Weasleys is that you couldn't feel lonely at their parties. There is always someone you know.

'Jane, how nice to see you!' Dominique kissed my two cheeks just how Louis did and handed me a glass of wine.

'Same goes for your. How are you and Scorpius doing?' I asked and took a sip of wine. I rarely drink anything but butterbeer but wine was an occasion itself, even more so if it followed stupid conversation with Potter.

'Well, I guess okay. I don't really know. It's so funny, you know, to see how everyone's relationships are doing but not yours. Speaking of which, have James finally confessed to you or is he still behaving as a brat?'

'A brat it is, although, excuse me Dom, I still don't think you are right about us. He hates my guts.'

'Rightly so. It was terribly stupid of you to let him go'

I didn't want to argue. Dom had no idea what happened between us. No one did. If the past could be changed, I would have come back to the moment I started dating James and kick this stupid idea out of our heads.

'Maybe you could find another victim to your matchmaking? Look, Rose is still deliciously alone'

Dominique snorted and spit a cherry seed out of her mouth, completely unlady-like.

'And she is also related to all of the guys here but Teddy. Who is so blinded with my sister that he would rather drop dead than smile at another girl. Quite wisely, we tend to be quite jealous and possessive.'

I looked in the direction of the lovebirds. They were talking to Dom's and Victoire's parents and Ted seemed really nervous. It seemed like he was putting on quite a show. Interesting, particularly as it's not like her parents didn't know him whole his life…

'Do you think they are talking wedding?'

'Nope' they are talking no wedding. They want to move in together' she glanced that way again. She looked unhappy but I didn't understand why. Dominique had a unique ability to predict which relationships are working well and which are not. Almost no one knew about it but we became close friends two years ago. That's how I came to hang out with the three of the guys in my year that never before paid much attention to me. Dominique cheered on Ted and Victoire for long time so I didn't quite understand why she was now so hesitant.

'Something wrong?'

'No, everything's right. I am just sad that I will see her even less frequently. Funny, huh, you are supposed to be welcoming someone new into the family but the truth is it's more like saying good bye. Like it wasn't enough of a change that I am not going back to Hogwarts.

I also felt sad she wasn't coming back. It would make me less prone to meet the Marauders (how they called themselves after Jim's grandfather's crew)... which was partly good, partly awful. I grew to like them… and just hated that things weren't the same after the breakup. Especially that before it was Jim who made it so easy for me to be with them. Weirdly, Fred and Louis were still very nice to me- maybe to balance how mean James was. It meant he didn't tell them either what happened between us. I didn't expect it, after all I did trust him… but I didn't expect him to just accept that because of his silence, everyone in our closest circle is assuming I was the one who was hurt.

'But you've got so many exciting things to do now. And you are not stuck with you exes to make your life miserable' I looked in the direction where boys were still standing. She didn't say anything, just snorted. I knew what she did not say- that she still saw me and James as a good match. Since she said that the very first time, I started doubting her abilities. Afterall, I was everything but not perfect for him. Even his behaviour after we broke up, was not of a guy who was in love with me but one of a guy whose vanity had been deeply hurt. James was nothing if not vain.

 **JAMES**

He didn't know whether to feel angry or satisfied, seeing Jane at the annual party. He was the one to invite her, to great surprise of his mother. Fortunately, she didn't ask why. James hated lying to his mother. Not only because she was cool and it felt like betrayal. Mainly because she was very scary when she found out.

-So, Jim- Dominique gulped the rest of her beer before continuing. She really wasn't a lady everyone thought her to be. She had put a nice show for the rest of the world.

-What happened to you and Jane?

-She didn't tell you?- he asked, deeply surprised. Her friendship with Dom was what brought them closer and to the situation right now. He regretted all of it so frequently he could almost imagine how the world could be otherwise.

-Not even a word. It's funny that you are the one who broke up with her, guilt radiates from her…

James was happy she only asked that when it was long after the party and the guys weren't there. He didn't tell them, for obvious reasons. It was pathetic, the girl played him like a child. He would never admit and it seems that, just as he expected, she also thought it was better saved between the two of them.

-Rightly so. She is to blame- he drunk a sip and was very happy when Fred and Louis came back from taking a piss in the woods nearby. As much as he liked Dominique, he was not going to talk Jane with her.

-What are you talking about?- asked Louis, lying down on a bench. He had that specific charisma that got all the girls weak in the knees. Everything he did exposed the very best side of him, like he was posing for a picture. All the time. If James didn't know him from childhood, he would assume it was his modelling job that taught him that. But it was natural to him just like kissing cheeks hello.

-Isn't it obvious from James's expression? They are talking about Janie and how unhappy he is without her.

-Maybe he would be with her if he wasn't such a jerk. Seriously, someone would say you haven't seen her naked from the expression you gave her today- Louis laughed and then suddenly stopped, illuminated- Unless you haven't!

-Oh, wow! Is that why you broke up?- teased Fred- Your vanity couldn't stand it?

-Shut up, morons- James finally spoke up- We haven't but it's not why we broke up.

It was, partly. If she slept with him, he wouldn't have realized what was going on. But then, if she slept with him, it wouldn't be going on. That would be a nice parallel universe to live in.

-Wow, you know what it means?- Louis raised himself a bit, supporting his head with a hand in a nonchalant way that James started to hate. At this moment he hated everything that Louis did that girls found attractive- If they haven't slept together, that means, Fred, we still can pick up Little Miss Bossy.

-Nope, pal- Fred reacted quickly- You don't get the rules of our agreement right. It's not that we are not to have sex with girls the other had sex with. That wouldn't be quite possible. It's the girlfriends that our protected. And as they went out quite a few months, setting a record for our stallion there, she is out of the question.

James smiled. He adored Fred, seriously. Moments like that reminded him just why. Behind all of the crazy ideas and frivolous attitude just about everything, he had his moral imperatives in order.

-Omg- Dominique finally butted in- You have an agreement of not doing each other's girlfriends?

-Bro code, sis- Louis answered cockily- We don't expect you to understand.

-Don't get me wrong, this rule is almost… honourable. But why do you need to make it a rule? It's so obvious you shouldn't even think of it. And you, Lou, keep far away from Jane.

-I don't know if I can, considering her new clothing choices- he smiled smugly and put his arms behind hid head. James suddenly started shivering with anger. He had to put an end to those ridiculous feelings, somehow.


End file.
